San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-05-13
FRIDAY, MAY 10, 1887.
O'BRIEN AND CANADA.

The Indications are that WIN. O'Brlen
will meet with very hostile reception
in Ontario, formerly known as Western
Canada. His appearance at Montreal
and Quebec as was natural, provoked no
hostile demonstration. Those cities are
located In the old division of the prov
ince, known as Eastern Canada, and this
division marked a severance Of idea,
and sentiment, and religion, as great rs
that which prevailed in anti-bellum
times between the sections north and
south OF Dixie's line. Eastern Canada,
Quebec, where Mr.. O'Brien made his
first appearance, is distinctively catho-
lie. The sympathies of this section are
naturally with Mr.. O'Brien and his sssO-
clates, who are Catholic Irishmen. The
man who has not read between the lines
OF this home rule controversy the les
sons of religious bigOtry and bitterness
which it unfolds has read it to little pur-
pose. The whole fight, Invested of its
verbage, is a fight between the Irish
catholics who are in the majority and
the Irish prOtestants who are in the mi
nority. This fight is waged for the con-
troll of Ireland. The Irish catholics de-
mand home rule because English rule is
oppressive, and English landlOrdsm de-
struotlve of Irish prosperity. The Irish
protestant resist this attempt of the
Irish catholic to secure the freedom of
ireland, because, in his intense hatred
of the catholic, he would prefer
any form of coercion by foreign
protestants, to any privileges of deliver
once at the hands OF Catholic home rul-
ers. This whole controversy, now wag-
ing in the British parliament, has for it's
foundation and corner stone the old ami
mostly between the Orangemen and tn e
"wesrers Of the green" In Canada this
hostility is more intense and bitter than
Ii ia in Ireland itself. Scarcely st.
Pairick's day, or an Orangeman's cele-
bratiOn OF the battle of the BOyne, has
passed In that country for half CEN
tury that did not witness some riot, some
scene Of bloOdshed, some fierce fight be-
tween the wearers of the "OrRDge" and
the "green." O'Brien's coming to Can
ada has aroused all the bitterness Of the
Orangemen Of Ontario and from Montreal
westward, Mr.. O'BrIen will find him
self beset with difficulties. The dis
patches give ample earnest of what the
editor of United Ireland may expect.
The Orange clans are reported muster
ing in force in Kingston, the old city at
the outlet Of Lake Ontario. There ia no
doubt that an attempt will be made to
mob O'Brien there and put him effectual-
ly out Of the way Of future speaking
The Orange clans which are in reality
we'll drilled semi-military organizations,
are under orders to concentrate in
Kingston at an hours notice, and 10000
armed men can be marched into
that town before 0'Brien can reach
there. In Toronto, the old York
Of Canada the former, the aldermen,
and his honor, the mayor, are taking Of
fetal notice OF O'Brien's coming, and
will probably prevent his speaking, on
the ground that the peace of the city is
threatened by his presence and the in
tRrests Of law and order and the secre-
sity of the city would be imperilled
BY his public address. The whole stu
alton is full of alarm and the result can
not be foreseen. This one thing is ap-
parent, that Mr.. 0'Brien's visit at this
juncture will arouse the most bitter
feelings Of the Orange and Catholic fac
lions in Canada, and fan the flames of
the old time bitterness into a fierce
flame. 1t is this view of the case which
renders his presence in Canada at this
time particularly dramatic. The lead
ers OF the home rule movement in Ire
land foreseeing that his presence would
only evoke bitterness, endeavored to
dissuade him from crossing the ocean,
but In vain. The religious aspect OF
this quarrel in Ireland, more than any
thing else, has divided the liberal party
In England and arrayed against
Irish home rule scores OF honest Eng
lishmen who would otherwise be found
fighting for Irish liberty side by side
with Gladstone. The fight is made to
appear fight against their fellow Prot
estsnts in Ireland, and this fact turns
their votes against irish home rule.